Biological pathogens and toxins are of intense current interest
due to the potential
for bioterrorist activities along the lines of the
ones occuring in the
U.S. in the last few years. Developing automated,
miniaturized biotoxin detection
devices is one approach to establishing water surety, monitoring
the safety of environmental waters, and maintaining
counterbioterrorist efforts.
These devices typically
identify proteins or DNA that are characteristic of
pathological organisms or
are indicative of biotoxins themselves. Our chemical and
particle analysis techniques are usually combined with biosensors--
for example, with collaborators such
as
Antje Baeumner.

The MicroChemLab miniaturized system for
chemical analysis of biotoxins (size approx 6"x4"x4"). This
handheld, battery-operated system
includes a microfabricated glass analysis chip,
high voltage power supplies, laser-induced fluorescence
detector, syringe sample
injection, and both on-board memory and computer interface (courtesy
Sandia National Labs).